respond, so he was glad when Lara Andrews moved forward to hug Agnes. Gina, Hunter’s mom, followed suit and soon the three women were talking, so the guys slipped away over to where Darren and Shasta sat.
“Hey, Darren,” Hunter began. “We just wanted to come over and say sorry about your dad. He was a really fun guy, and he was real nice, too.”
“Yeah,” Eli agreed. “He always came to our shows. Remember? He even paid for a ticket that one time. We didn’t even sell tickets.” Feeling sadder with the memory, Eli looked at the ground. “Anyway, we’re sorry, Man.”
Shasta was about to reply for Darren, when he stood up and awkwardly gave Eli a half hug. “Thanks, Man,” he said.
He moved to Hunter and repeated the same half hug and thanks and sat back down. Shasta was a little taken aback but recovered enough to ask, “How’re you guys doing? That couldn’t have been an easy day for you. I heard that you three were pretty sick. Feeling better?”
Hunter replied, “Yeah. Actually, that was pretty strange. Eli here had a big headache, Buggie was almost fainting, and I couldn’t stop puking. My mom says it was stress, but Eli and I felt that way before we even got to the clearing. Listen, I was thinking about that. I think there might be something in the woods. Some kind of chemical they used to kill off some of the vegetation or make the animals go away. It has to be something.”
That’s when the rest of the Jackson family had arrived, and Darren had to go speak with his relatives. Shasta went with him leaving Eli and Hunter alone. They left a few minutes later and Darren hadn’t spoken to either of them again. He saw them at the funeral service that day, but he didn’t feel much like conversation.
Now he and Shasta occupied the same corner of the living room as people trickled in to visit once again. The funeral had been short, the gravesite service even shorter and Darren was glad of that. Going on day three of the nightmare was just about all he could take. Shasta, sensing his mood, took his hand and led him out of the room into the back yard. Even though it was fall, the leaves were still green. She sat him down on the back steps and plopped down beside him. She had been at his side almost constantly for the last three days after not being alone with him for almost two whole years. Finally, it was time to talk.
It was simple and to the point. It was also everything Darren had been wishing for.
“I love you, Darren. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I’m sorry to drop this on you now, but I think you need to know where I stand. I want to be here for you. I’m glad you’ve let me so far, but if you think things are just going to go back to the way they were before you kissed me, I can’t. I really want to be your friend, and I’ll really try if that’s what you want, but I need you to know how I really feel.”
Darren stared at her deep brown eyes and confusion turned into realization. “You love me? You’ve felt like this all along? Shas, why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were mad about the kiss. I thought you wanted distance.”
“What? No! What are you even talking about? You looked so angry and then you just left the party. I thought you were mad at me! Then you wouldn’t talk to me and...”
“No,” he interrupted. “not wouldn’t, couldn’t. I couldn’t stand being around you because I wanted things to be different with us, and I thought you were the one that didn’t feel the same. I’m so sorry, Shas. I handled this all wrong.”
Shasta couldn’t believe what was happening. “No, Darren, don’t be sorry. It sounds like we were both wrong. We were both idiots. We’ve wasted so much time without each other. I’m sorry, too.” She threw her arms around him and tears sprang into her eyes. “I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through right now, and I promise I’ll be here for you. I’m not going anywhere ever again. I love you,
“Hey, Darren,” Hunter began. “We just wanted to come over and say sorry about your dad. He was a really fun guy, and he was real nice, too.”
“Yeah,” Eli agreed. “He always came to our shows. Remember? He even paid for a ticket that one time. We didn’t even sell tickets.” Feeling sadder with the memory, Eli looked at the ground. “Anyway, we’re sorry, Man.”
Shasta was about to reply for Darren, when he stood up and awkwardly gave Eli a half hug. “Thanks, Man,” he said.
He moved to Hunter and repeated the same half hug and thanks and sat back down. Shasta was a little taken aback but recovered enough to ask, “How’re you guys doing? That couldn’t have been an easy day for you. I heard that you three were pretty sick. Feeling better?”
Hunter replied, “Yeah. Actually, that was pretty strange. Eli here had a big headache, Buggie was almost fainting, and I couldn’t stop puking. My mom says it was stress, but Eli and I felt that way before we even got to the clearing. Listen, I was thinking about that. I think there might be something in the woods. Some kind of chemical they used to kill off some of the vegetation or make the animals go away. It has to be something.”
That’s when the rest of the Jackson family had arrived, and Darren had to go speak with his relatives. Shasta went with him leaving Eli and Hunter alone. They left a few minutes later and Darren hadn’t spoken to either of them again. He saw them at the funeral service that day, but he didn’t feel much like conversation.
Now he and Shasta occupied the same corner of the living room as people trickled in to visit once again. The funeral had been short, the gravesite service even shorter and Darren was glad of that. Going on day three of the nightmare was just about all he could take. Shasta, sensing his mood, took his hand and led him out of the room into the back yard. Even though it was fall, the leaves were still green. She sat him down on the back steps and plopped down beside him. She had been at his side almost constantly for the last three days after not being alone with him for almost two whole years. Finally, it was time to talk.
It was simple and to the point. It was also everything Darren had been wishing for.
“I love you, Darren. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I’m sorry to drop this on you now, but I think you need to know where I stand. I want to be here for you. I’m glad you’ve let me so far, but if you think things are just going to go back to the way they were before you kissed me, I can’t. I really want to be your friend, and I’ll really try if that’s what you want, but I need you to know how I really feel.”
Darren stared at her deep brown eyes and confusion turned into realization. “You love me? You’ve felt like this all along? Shas, why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were mad about the kiss. I thought you wanted distance.”
“What? No! What are you even talking about? You looked so angry and then you just left the party. I thought you were mad at me! Then you wouldn’t talk to me and...”
“No,” he interrupted. “not wouldn’t, couldn’t. I couldn’t stand being around you because I wanted things to be different with us, and I thought you were the one that didn’t feel the same. I’m so sorry, Shas. I handled this all wrong.”
Shasta couldn’t believe what was happening. “No, Darren, don’t be sorry. It sounds like we were both wrong. We were both idiots. We’ve wasted so much time without each other. I’m sorry, too.” She threw her arms around him and tears sprang into her eyes. “I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through right now, and I promise I’ll be here for you. I’m not going anywhere ever again. I love you,
Similar Books
